Describing the Brazilian starfish pepper as “uniquely shaped” may be doing it a disservice in the looks department. This is one beautiful chili with a shape much like a sea star. It’s a lovely quirkiness – sort of an unexpected, but well-appreciated twist to the typical rounded chili – and, because of that, it works very well as an ornamental pepper. But unlike many ornamentals that sacrifice nuanced taste for looks, the Brazilian starfish is simply delicious too. They are sweet, almost fruity, with a bold, but eatable level of heat (10,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units.) Packing looks and flavor makes this chili pepper well sought after by spicy foodies and gardeners alike.
Scoville heat units (SHU): 10,000 – 30,000 SHU
Median heat: 20,000 SHU
Origin: Peru (cultivated now in Brazil)
Capsicum species: Baccatum
Jalapeño reference scale: Near equal to 12 times hotter
Use: Culinary, Ornamental
Size: 1 to 2 inches long, squat
Flavor: Sweet, Fruity
How To Grow Your Chilli Plants
Chillies are always grown straight from seed, which should be sown in trays or small pots in spring once the last frost is over. Sow your chilli seeds from August to November in most parts of SA – in areas where there could be late frost, it’s safer to wait for September. Use a light, well-drained seedling mixture, sow your seeds about 5 mm deep, water well and place on a warm windowsill or in a greenhouse to germinate. These hot numbers originate from warm countries, so require a minimum temperature of 18–25°C to germinate. They generally pop their heads up after seven to 14 days, but some of the extreme varieties such as the ghost chillies can take up to 30 days to germinate. The hotter the chilli, the longer the seed takes to sprout.
Transplant your seedlings when they have two sets of true leaves, meaning the leaves that appear after the first set. Chillies can be planted out into the open ground in a sunny area, into containers, veggie planters or even hanging baskets. Make sure that your soil is loose, well- draining and rich in organic matter. An addition of a teaspoon of 2:3:2 fertiliser to each planting hole will ensure that your young plants get the best start and will flower prolifically. Chillies enjoy humidity, so spray your plants with a fine water spray during dry weather – this will also help stop flower drop.
TOP TIP: Sprinkle a teaspoon of Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) around the plants’ roots at this stage – also very beneficial for flower production. Warning: Chillies are not happy in a windy position and tend to drop their flowers if they are not sheltered from high winds.
